Improvement in sleigh-shoes



NITED STATES BENJAMIN F. SWEET, OF FOND DU LAG, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLElGH-SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,394, dated June 26, 1877 application filed May 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJ. F. SWEET, of the city of Fond du Lac, State of Wisconsin, have invented an Improvement in Sleigh- Shoes, of which the following is a specification The improvement relates to the form of a sleigh-shoe; and consists in making the under side of the shoe in such form that while moving in a longitudinal direction the resist ance or friction by coming in contact with the snow is not greater than with the shoe of the old style, and its tendency to a lateral or sliding movement is materially diminished.

Figure l is a perspective view of the shoe, showing the preferred construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a view of one-half of the shoe when divided by a vertical longitudinal line. Fig. 3 is a view of the after or rear end of the improved shoe. Fig. 4 is a view of a vertical transverse section of the flat part of the shoe.

The under side of the after or rear portion of the shoe is made in a concave form, the concaveness regularly diminishing from the rear end forward to or near the center of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 2.

While in the drawing I have shown the under side of the rear portion of the shoe to be of concave construction, which, by preference,

I use, the same result is produced by grooving the said portion to an obtuse angle, to do which is within the scope of my invention.

The under side of the curved part of the shoe is made flat or slightly convex, and a portion of the straight part of the shoe is flat on its under side, as seen in Fig. 4, being in form the same as shoes in general use.

It is a Well-known fact that, where one side of the road is higher than the other, there is a great tendency in the sleigh to follow the declivity, which results in a lateral or sliding movement. Therefore I make the after or rear end of the shoe in the form described and shown in the drawings, to prevent the lateral movement of the sleigh, the forward end being kept in place by the team.

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

A sleigh-shoe the under side of which, for a portion of its length from the rear forward, is provided with a groove, diminishing in depth as it approaches the longitudinal center of the shoe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

BENJAMIN F. SWEET.

Witnesses:

R. H. BOYNTON, PETER MCGOARTY. 

